Stay Safe
by xmoonlightxdreamsx
Summary: AU. CARYL "An' what about Sophia? Damn woman, don'tcha care about her at all? Huh? Ain't ya supposed to keep her safe?" Carol is trapped in a loveless, and abusive marriage. Will her crossbow-yielding knight covered in dirt and grime be able to save her and her young daughter?
1. Chapter 1

"Carol, where in the damn hell is my coffee?" Ed Peletier questioned his wife as she made her way into the kitchen with their daughter. Carol knew as soon as Sophia tried to stay home from school that it was going to mean trouble from Ed. It was a small price to pay though; she'd take the beatings and harsh words from Ed if it meant that she could be somewhat of a good mother to her child.

"I'm sorry Ed, Sophia wasn't feeling well-" Carol started, keeping Sophia behind her before she was cut off.

"Carol, Carol, Carol, pathetic, useless, Carol. You stay home and sit on your ass all day, you don't even have a god damned job, because me, being the nice guy that I am, provides for your ass and that kid. And all I expect in return are just a few simple things, like having my damn morning cup of coffee ready."

His tone frightened Carol. Usually when he was angry and yelling he was drunk. The beatings then were relatively quick before he went to go pass out. When he seemed calm though, he was raging on the inside. The anger would be festering all day, only for him to take it out on her later that night.

"You're lucky that girl's in here. Just wait until tonight," he threatened. "You'd better have dinner ready by the time I get home," he turned and walked out the back door without another word.

"Mommy, I still don't feel good. Can I please stay home?" Sophia looked up at her mother, and Carol's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She felt horrible for making Sophia go to school, but this was far from the first time Sophia had feigned illness to get out of going to school.

"I'm sorry baby, you have to go to school today. It'll be a quick day though, I promise. And I'll be right there waiting for you when you get out. Don't you have art today? Mrs. Morris said you were going to finger paint today, so you have to wear some old clothes. Let's go find some, okay?" Carol led her daughter back upstairs to get her ready for the day.

Sophia seemed to cheer up a bit when she was reminded about art class. Sophia excitedly explained to Carol that she was partnered with Carl, her "bestest friend in the whole wide world", and that they were going to paint pictures of each other.

By the time they got to school, Sophia was all but running into class, but not without saying bye to her mother first. "I love you, mommy! You'll be here when I get out, right?"

"I love you too, and of course, baby girl, I always am. Have a great day, honey." Carol saw her daughter off and was about to leave when Lori Grimes stopped her in her tracks.

Lori gave Carol a quick hug. "Carol! It's so nice to see you again, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks," she smiled warmly. "My husband's been dropping Carl off earlier lately, but he had to go into work early this morning. I think he's feeling guilty about working so much…It's already October and we both can't believe Carl's in kindergarten already. I'm sure you and your husband feel the same way."

"Yeah, it's still weird not having Sophia home all day," Carol said as they walked out of the school and towards the parking lot. "I know she was awfully excited this morning. She and Carl are partnered up for an art project."

"Oh yes, I heard all about it from Carl," Lori chuckled. "The boy must be the only one in his class that doesn't think girls are gross. We're going to have to keep our eyes on those two, you know," Lori winked.

"Oh god, I don't even want to think about that," Carol said with a warm smile of her own. Lori was a chatterbox, that much was true, but she also had this infectious ability to make those around her feel warm and welcome. Her happiness was something Carol had to admit she was slightly jealous of.

Then again, Carol had made her own bed and now she had to lay in it. Ed had been more than happy to make promises of the consequences that would occur if she ever tried to leave him. Carol knew by now that they were not empty threats, and that Ed always had ways of manipulating people and situations.

"Oh I know! You should come over for dinner tomorrow night! You can meet my husband, he finally has a night off. You can bring your husband and Sophia."

Carol tried to think quickly, to get herself out of this dinner. Lori had good intentions, but Carol wasn't supposed to have friends. Ed had made sure of that, not too long after they had started dating. They had been high school sweethearts, and as a result Carol had not had any friends for quite a few years.

"Oh, I don't know what we're doing and I don't want to impose…" Carol said anxiously. Her feet had subconsciously started shuffling, almost in an effort to run from the situation. In that moment she wished she could be a normal mother and wife, the type that wouldn't be terrified to ask her husband if they could have dinner with her friend's family. Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a better excuse. Lori wasn't the type of person to take no for an answer, and she had a way of convincing you into things, much like Ed could. The difference was that Lori did it almost unknowingly, and with good intentions. Ed did it with malice, and for his own benefit.

"Oh nonsense! Here let me give you our address," Lori said as she started moving things around in her purse, in search of a piece of paper and pen. "I should probably clean this out," she chuckled. "Never can find anything."

"Eureka!" She exclaimed when she found the objects. She wrote her address down and handed it to Carol. She peered down at the paper and recognized the street; only a couple blocks away, close enough to walk to.

"Does six sound good for dinner?" Lori questioned as she placed the strap of her purse back onto her shoulder.

"Uh yeah, sure," Carol stuttered nervously but with what she hoped had some semblance of a smile.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow then! It'll be nice to have some more friends over," Lori replied before she got in her car and took off. "I'm sure Carl will be ecstatic, he hasn't had a friend his own age come over yet."

"I'm sure Sophia will be bouncing off the walls when I tell her, too," Carol said, with a smile that had no need to be forced. The thought of her daughter could always put Carol in a better mood. Sophia was the only thing she could be grateful that came from her relationship with Ed.

Carol spent the majority of the day wondering how she could either approach Ed with the idea of dinner at Lori's house, which she figured had about a ninety nine percent chance of not going well. Ed would ask how they had met, why she was talking to her, if she was fucking Lori's husband, or talking to other men if she was talking to Lori.

Her other option was trying to come up with an excuse by the next morning when she'd hopefully run into Lori or her husband when they dropped Carl off at school. Carol would have to make sure that she got there relatively early to ensure she'd bump into one of Carl's parents and inform them that she regrettably couldn't go.

For a split second, talking to Lori earlier that day, she had almost been excited at the idea of going to a friend's house for dinner. For Carol, it was like someone had told her she won a month long trip to Paris, sans Ed. Then reality came crashing down on her like a slap to the face, and that was how she spent the rest of her day, trying to come up with an excuse while making sure that the house was spotless, and dinner on the table before Ed got home.

Carol was taken aback that night, when Ed had come home in a relatively good mood. It was rare that he came home in a good mood, and she wasn't about to do or say anything that might set him off. She was extra cautious, making sure she didn't speak unless he asked her a question. She made sure that his food was warm, not too hot, not too cold, but just right. She made sure she grabbed him a beer out of the fridge before he asked for one.

Sophia, seemingly picked up on her father's good mood as well, and was on her very best behavior. That meant, that she was only seen and not heard. As soon as Ed had found out Carol was having a girl, he had very little interest in being a father. Carol was always failing him, and couldn't even give him a son. What the hell was he going to do with a girl?

Carol hated the constant silence of the house. Children were supposed to make messes, they were supposed to make noises and fill the empty space with laughter. She had mistakenly thought that maybe when she had Sophia, Ed would change and become the doting husband and father he had promised her he would be, the one he had tricked her into thinking he would be.

Once Sophia excused herself from the dinner table and went to her room, Ed finally spoke up.

"Frank's having a poker night at his place tomorrow night. Won't be back until Saturday night," he grinned. Poker and alcohol were about the only things that could get Ed out of the house outside of work. Ed's face fell then, back to its usual state. "You better not do anything stupid, you hear?"

"Of course not, Ed," she said, looking him in the eyes. She wanted to smile, but didn't, knowing it would raise suspicion from Ed. It looked like she would be able to go to Lori's after all. It was rare that Ed spent the night away from home, due to his distrust of Carol. It'd be risky, but Carol was confident that she could go to Lori's with Sophia, have a nice _normal _dinner, and Ed would never be the wiser.

Her nerves had changed into ones of excitement, as she no longer had to try and come up with an excuse. She wasn't sure if she was more excited about the dinner, or the fact that she'd have almost two whole days and a night without Ed.

One thing she knew for sure was the fact that without Ed, tomorrow would undoubtedly be one of the best nights of her life.

AN: Continue? Yea or nay? Honestly, I'll be continuing regardless. This is the first time I'm writing fanfiction for The Walking Dead, and the first time I've written fanfiction in a couple of years. Actually, the first time I've written anything in a long time, not that you folks really care, hehe.

It came about because: 1) I'm a DIE HARD Caryl shipper, and 2) I have a boring ass job, to be honest, and my mind wanders all sorts of dark and scary places. Lately though, this idea has wormed its way in and has been eating at me ever since.

I'm always open to reviews and input. If you want to see something happen in this story, let me know. I'll even ask questions along the way. Nothing's set in stone, and I can go quite a few different ways with this.

So, here's the first question. Who wants to see Daryl next chapter? I know I do ;)


	2. Chapter 2

I keep forgetting to put a disclaimer... But really, the fact that I'm on here, writing fan fiction, should clue you into the fact that I don't own these characters, The Walking Dead, etc. If I did, it'd be way different, a lot of people would still be alive, and aside from Carly being together, it'd probably suck, lol.

Here's chapter two. Thank you for all of the reads, reviews, follows, etc. I really, and truly appreciate it. I'm not trying to guilt anyone, but reviews truly make my day. This is the first time in a long time I've been able to write and it feels fantastic. Reviews really help the motivation and the muse, though. If you're a ''lurker'' I completely understand that too, and thank you for following along on this story of mine.

* * *

The next morning had thankfully, gone without much event. Ed had left and gone to work, but not without the threat of what would happen if Carol attempted any "funny business" while he was gone. It was enough to scare her, but not enough to keep her and Sophia away from that night's plans.

Carol dropped Sophia off at school, not running into either one of Carl's parents. She spent most of the day doing errands, paying bills and getting groceries until it was time to get Sophia from school, her favorite part of the day.

"Mama! Look what I made today!" Sophia beamed as she held up a drawing that Carol could only assume was of herself and her daughter. "Wow honey, that's great! We'll hang it up in your room when get home, okay?"

Carol felt guilty. Most kids' drawings went on the refrigerator, and it was a point of pride. All of Sophia's things needed to be kept in her room, and out of Ed's sight. The one time she had hung a stick figure drawing on the fridge, Ed tore it down, ripping it to shreds and leaving it for Sophia to find and Carol to pick up the pieces.

Sophia smiled and chatted on about her day to her mother, with Carol hanging on every word. When she finally was able to get a word in edge wise, she mentioned having dinner with the Grimes, and Sophia's eyes lit up.

"Really Mama?" Then her smile turned downward, and her face scrunched in confusion.

"What about dad?"

"You're dad's not going to be home until tomorrow night, so tonight we're going to have dinner with Carl and his parents." Sophia's smile returned. Carol relished in the fact that she was able to do this simple thing for her daughter, to let her daughter have a night that didn't stand a chance of being ruined by Ed, and the thought made Carol mirror her daughter's smile.

Fast forward to later that night, Carol and Sophia stood awkwardly outside of the Grimes' front door before Lori came and answered it.

"Hi Carol, Sophia!'' Lori welcomed with the smile that Carol thought had to be permanently attached to her face. Carol returned it with a hesitant smile of her own. "Carl's in the backyard if you want to go play before dinner, Sophia.''

Sophia looked up at her mother, who nodded that it was okay.

"Just walk straight through there and out the door,'' Lori pointed.

"It'll be nice to have a woman's company over, usually we have-''

Carol cut Lori off as a man walked in to the room.

"Rick?" Carol's eyes flooded with unshed tears.

"Carol! I haven't seen you since-" Rick started before she cut him off.

"Since you graduated and left me all alone," Carol let out a weak laugh.

Rick came up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. It was the first time in a long time someone had given her a hug like that. He might have even been the last person to do so.

"I've missed you so much. We have so much to catch up on," Carol gushed. "I knew Carl and Lori's last name was Grimes, but I never thought to put two and two together."

"You know, if I didn't know you Carol, I'd be raging with awful jealousy right now," Lori smiled. Her tone and facial expression conveyed her joking manner, but Carol stepped back as though she had been stung. There it was, reality creeping back up on her. If Ed found out...

No. She stopped that train of thought right there. She wasn't going to let thoughts of _Ed _ruin her night away from him. She deserved this, she determined. _Sophia_, her loving, caring, sweet, Sophia, deserved this. A night away from the man she called her dad. A night with friends, talking and laughing, and having a good time.

No, Ed Peletier was not going to ruin this night.

Thankfully, nobody was able to question her because the sound of the front door opening could be heard from where they were standing in the living room. Carol stilled, for a split second she almost believed Ed was going to come barging into the Grimes' dining room, somehow knowing where she was, and what she had done.

She relaxed slightly when she an unfamiliar man walk in. He was a few inches taller than her, and he was wearing a pair of dirty and hole-ridden jeans, and a dark plaid button up that had the sleeves cut off, showcasing the muscled god-like arms he had. His dark brown hair was a little on the longer side, a few strands hanging over one of his devastatingly beautiful blue eyes.

Carol blushed and looked down after making contact with them.

"Sorry if 'm late. Had some trouble with some prick of a guy that couldn' understan' what the damn hell I meant when I kep' on sayin' his car wasn't ready," the still unknown and annoyed man huffed.

"Man another one?" Rick smiled at the guy. "How come you always get the good ones?"

"Hell if I know. If I'd a known when Old Al left the place to me, I probably wouldn't a take 'im up on it," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Darling," Lori said sweetly, "Don't you think we should introduce our guests to each other? I'm going to check on dinner."

"Sorry," Rick smiled sheepishly before Lori left the room, ashamed that he had forgotten his manners. "Carol, this is Daryl, Daryl, this is Carol. I knew Carol back in high school. We were good friends; I wouldn't have passed a couple of classes without her help," Rick said to Daryl, before turning to Carol.

"Nice ta meet ya, m'am," Daryl nodded to Carol, making eye contact. His eyes were an intense blue. Rick had nice eyes, but there was something extra in this man's that she couldn't quite name. She blushed and looked away, unused to making eye contact before choking out, "you too."

Lori walked back in, announcing that dinner was done and that she'd inform the kids.

"Alrigh' I'mma just go an' wash up real quick," Daryl said before making his way to the bathroom.

"Dining room's over here," Rick motioned for Carol to follow him. They all got settled into seats, with the exception of Rick who had denied any assistance in getting the food. Lori sat at one of the heads of the table, Carl and Sophia on one side, and Carol and Daryl sitting opposite of them.

"Daryl! I gotta show you and Sophia my new truck that dad got me today! Will you play with us?" Carl's voice spoke up in pure excitement, the innocent kind that only a child could possess.

He turned to Sophia, without waiting for a response from Daryl. "Daryl is the coolest guy ever!"

"O' course I'll play wit' ya. Ya ass is always conning me into it, ain't it? Let's eat dinner firs' though.''

Carl beamed, and starting squirming in his seat, waiting for Rick to come back so that he could get dinner done and over with. "Daryl, this is my daughter, Sophia,'' Carol introduced politely.

"Ah, Sophia, yeah I reckon Carl mighta mentioned her before. I'm Daryl if'n you ain't figured that out yet. Nice to meet ya, Sophia."

"Nice to meet you too,'' Sophia muttered shyly, barely being heard.

Carol smiled politely. She felt a little uncomfortable, sitting next to a man she didn't know, but he didn't seem too bad. "_Yeah, and Ed didn't seem too bad, either," _she thought darkly.

She shook her head slightly, trying to get the thought of Ed out of her mind. This was supposed to be an Ed free night. She glanced around her to see if anyone had noticed. Daryl seemed to notice, but he looked away quickly and didn't say anything. Rick came back in at that moment and set the tray of food on the table.

"This is really good, Rick. I remember in high school I wasn't sure if you even knew how to make a sandwich," Carol teased.

"Well, Lori's not much of a cook, so I suppose one of us had to learn."

"Damn, you itchin' to get in the dog house tonight?" Daryl questioned.

Lori sighed. "It's okay, Daryl. I was going to do the dishes, but I think Rick can handle them, tonight. I know how much he loves to do the dishes."

Carol bit back a laugh. This was nice…and bizarre to her. She had never sat down to a meal like this, even before Ed was in the picture. She had never seen people who were so at ease with each other, and who bantered lovingly.

"Ha, serves 'im right, if ya ask me," Daryl snorted. Rick just rolled his eyes. "Thanks, I really appreciate the back up."

"So Carol, where's your husband? Tell me you aren't still with that Ed guy," Rick joked when everyone had finished their meals. His face turned to stone upon seeing the look on Carol's face.

"He, uh, had plans tonight," Carol spoke quietly. Carol stood up. Sophia, thankfully hadn't noticed the turn in conversation as she was immersed in her own conversation with Carl. "I'm going to tackle these dishes, if everyone's done," Carol stood and smiled, effectively changing the subject.

"Oh no honey, you're our guest! Sit down, I'll do them in the morning. Rick and I were just teasin' each other."

"Oh no, it's the least I can do," Carol said.

"I can help, Mama," Sophia spoke up. "No baby it's okay. Didn't Carl want to show you his new truck?"

"Yeah! Mom can we go play now?"

"Yeah I guess so," Lori laughed. "C'mon Daryl!" Carl walked over and grabbed Daryl's hand, trying to drag him out of his chair.

"Do I have ta?" Daryl asked the kid.

"Yessssss,'' he whined. "Please?'' Carl amended.

"Okay, reckon if I have ta,'' Daryl drawled. Everyone but Lori and Carol headed outside. Lori insisted that if Carol was set on doing the dishes, she'd at least help. Carol stood at the sink, looking out the window that led to the backyard as she washed the dishes and handed them to Lori.

She watched Sophia, as she hung back closer to Carl, being almost afraid of Daryl. Once again, guilt crept up like a familiar friend. Sophia was cautious of strangers and had every right to be, Carol thought solemnly.

How could she be open to strangers when her own father was the way he was? Cold, heartless, callous... the list could go on and on. It hadn't surprised her that Rick reacted the way he had. When she and Ed had first started dating, Rick knew something was off from the start, and constantly begged Carol to break things off with him. Carol knew that Rick would bring Ed up again, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

Carol was young and looking for an escape. Ed had provided it. She had found out about the monster in him too late, and by that point she felt like she had no options, no choice but to stay with him. There was nothing else for her, nowhere she could go. Then there was the fear, the fear of what Ed would do to her if she ever left.

She felt like if she stayed, she could somewhat control it. She could at least keep Sophia safe. They didn't exactly have much of a relationship, but Ed had never gone after Sophia.

"I didn't realize Sophia was so shy,'' Lori mused. "Sometimes I feel like I can't get Carl to stop talking," Lori laughed. Carol knew where he got that from, but decided to stay mum. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and Carl was just a kid who was able to be a kid. Sophia had to grow up differently, thanks to Ed.

"They kind of balance each other out though, you know?'' Carol responded. "'I'm glad Sophia made such a good friend.''

"I'm glad too,'' Lori responded, drying the last dish before putting it away.

They joined Rick on the patio, and the three of them sat in silence for a bit, watching Daryl and the kids play out in the yard, letting their laughs and the sounds of birds chirping fill the silence.

Carol notice that Sophia's shyness had melted, and she was involved in a game of tag with Carl and Daryl. Daryl started panting, and put his hands on his legs, hunched over before falling onto the grass and laying there. Carl subsequently came up and tagged him, with Sophia creeping up on the other side of him.

"You're tired already?'' Carl questioned. "Yeah kid, some of us have ta work for a livin', and I worked pretty damn hard today,'' Daryl teased.

Carl tagged him anyway, and before he could get away, Daryl grabbed him and started tickling him, causing fits of giggles to come out of Sophia.

"Think it's funny?'' Daryl asked before releasing Carl and tickling Sophia. Carl then had his turn to laugh at the pair.

"Mama, help me,'' Sophia called out between giggles. Carol sat there with Rick and Lori laughing at the scene. She was happy to see Sophia so happy and care-free, not worrying that she was making too much noise or doing something wrong. She wished she could always give this to Sophia.

"Please!'' Sophia's voice screeched, before Daryl let go, laughing himself. "Ya two keep playin' I'mma go get some water or somethin'.''

Daryl made his way up the steps of the patio where Lori stopped him, saying she'd grab him a drink. He muttered a thanks before plopping down into one of the chairs and laying back in it.

''Damn kids tired me out, make me feel old,'' he let out. Carol quickly learned not to take offense to what he said or his language, it seemed that was just how he was.

"Thank you,'' Carol offered quietly. "For playing with Sophia,'' she continued, feeling the need to explain herself after seeing the look of confusion that swept over his face.

"O' course,'' he snorted. "Wasn't like I was just gonna ignore her.''

"Her daddy,'' Carol started hesitantly before backtracking, ''he doesn't really play with Sophia.''

Both men gave her a questioning look as Lori came back out, handing Daryl a glass of water.

"So Carol, have these two told you yet how they met? It's quite the story,'' Lori said as she sat down next to her husband.

"No, but I'd love to hear it,'' she smiled.

* * *

There it is, chapter two. Thanks for sticking around. I hope Daryl's first appearance didn't disappoint. I know that's he's OOC, but this is before the apocalypse, and he's friend with Rick Grimes, so his character development has happened earlier than it did on the show, and they're all younger here. Plus this is my fic, I can write him how I want. ;P

I'm sorry if it's kind of choppy or not the best quality. I'm still trying to make my way back into writing. Plus, it's hard to write the pre-Caryl scenes, because I feel like I'm in that meme, you know, where there's the big guy trying to push the two heads together and saying, ''NOW KISS!'' That's totally me. Then that one percent left of me that had any sense says, Daryl can't just throw Carol up against a tree and ravish her. Then the other ninety nine percent of me begs, ''why in the hell not?!''

I get really off track with these notes, I've noticed. If you actually are bothering to read them, kudos and brownie points to you!

Thanks for everything!

P.S. I posted a one-shot that had the potential to become a multi-fix, called Nine Lives. It's about Caryl, of course, and I'd be super grateful if you check it out!

I hope you're all having a great day. :)

Next chapter we find out how Rick and Daryl's friendship formed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well lady, ya ever heard the name Dixon?'' He questioned, looking over at her, ready for her reaction. He figured she'd laugh at him. Who hadn't heard of the Dixon family? It seemed there was nothing better to talk about in their small town than his troubled family.

"I can't say I have,'' Carol replied honestly. How would she have? She didn't have any friends really, didn't have anyone to talk to or gossip with. She wondered what his name had to do with anything.

''I told you there had to be someone who hasn't heard your family,'' Rick boasted with a chuckle, trying to ease Daryl's nerves. Daryl wasn't much for small talk.

"Yeah well, I reckon, she's about the only one," he said with an eyebrow raised. "Anyway, we Dixons, long story short, don't got a good name. Got an older brother, Merle. He's in an outta jail seems like every other god damn week. Rick, bein' the goody two-shoes cop he is, had ta take my brother in more 'n once. Jus' kept runnin' into each other, got to sharin' stories 'bout how dumb Merle is, and well, here we are. And Merle's ass is in jail, again, o' course,'' he sighed. Merle was the only family he had, but it was hard for them to maintain a normal sibling type relationship.

"You've arrested his brother? And you guys friends?'' Those were the first questions that came out of Carol's mouth, and Daryl was quick to notice. Her eyes weren't judging him, but merely curious. Most people would have asked if they didn't already know, why the Dixons had a bad reputation. Or why Merle was in jail, or they'd ask why his ass wasn't in jail with Merle's. Everyone assumed he was no good like the rest of his family, not that Merle was bad, per se, but he did dumb shit all the time.

Carol was surprised, to say the least, when Daryl nodded his head in confirmation. That was a rather unique way to befriend someone.

''Yup, kept runnin' into him so often and it jus' kinda happened. He's arrestin' Merle, 'cause Merle's stupid ass is always getting into stupid shit, and Rick's sayin' I should come over for dinner. Thought he was a whackjob for invitin' me over, but wasn't about to turn down a free dinner,'' he smirked.

Carol found herself returning the smirk with a smile of her own.

"What about you and Rick?'' Lori asked Carol. "You said you met in high school?''

"Yeah, Carol kept my ass from failing,'' Rick admitted. "She graduated a year ahead of when she was supposed to, being so smart and all.

Carol blushed at the kind words. "You weren't that bad,'' she teased.

"I recall starting more than one fire in Mr. Gimple's class,'' Rick laughed.

''You were close then?'' Lori asked looking at Carol. It was one of the few times Carol had seen the woman _without _a smile on her face. She caught on to the meaning behind the question then quickly answered, nearly fumbling over her words.

''Oh no, it wasn't like that. We were good friends but neither of us had any interest in the other. Besides I had started dating Ed, when we were in our senior year. Rick just wasn't my type,'' she answered truthfully. She wanted to add that Ed wasn't her type either, but bit back the remark. She didn't miss the way Rick's face had fallen at the mention of Ed, the silent stare Daryl was giving her, as though he _knew_ somehow, and the way Lori had completely missed both men's expressions.

"I'm sorry Ed couldn't make it,'' Lori said sympathetically.

"I'm not,'' Rick answered, echoing Carol's own thoughts. I don't want him anywhere near our home.''

Lori and Daryl looked at Rick while Carol looked away, watching the kids that were still playing. They had settled down in the grass and it looked like they were making mud pies, or some equivalent.

"Carol?'' Lori asked hesitantly. She wanted to know what had provoked such a strong reaction out of her husband, but didn't want to overstep. Rick was the kindest man she knew, and that was one of the reasons she had married him. For him to say something like that... Lori didn't even know what to make of it.

"I- Ed's not very social. He's not exactly the nicest man. It's better that he's not here,'' Carol replied carefully. She hoped everyone would let it go. She sneaked a glance at Daryl and found that he was still looking at her. The way he looked at her, so intensely, it made her feel as though he was reading her thoughts.

"Carol,'' Rick started. Carol had to look away from the intensity of Daryl's gaze. "Everything's fine, Rick.'' The word _liar_ kept screaming itself in her head over and over. She felt as though it was tattooed on her forehead, plain for everyone to see. "We're married, we have Sophia," she offered, as though those two things equated to everything in her life being okay.

"You're always welcome here,'' he said in a quiet but firm tone.

"Yes of course," Lori chimed in, still unsure of what was going on. "Anytime." She gave Rick a look that made him know she expected an explanation later, out of their company's ears.

"Thank you," Carol choked out. She was uncomfortable in the situation, but grateful that her _friends_, she was still getting used to the word, had offered such kindness towards her.

Daryl stood up then, fists clenched at his sides. "Gonna head out now. Thank ya for dinner,'' he directed to Rick and Lori.

Carl and Sophia walked up the patio then. "See ya later li'l man,'' Daryl said as he ruffled Carl's hair.

"Bye Sophia,'' he nodded to the little girl. He was taken aback when she unexpectedly wrapped her tiny arms around his legs. "Am I gonna see you again?'' She asked quietly, gazing up at him with the wide blue eyes she had inherited from her mother.

"Reckon ya will,'' he answered.

"Carol,'' he nodded before he walked to the front of the house to make his way home. Carol stared after him, not just because he was almost as handsome from behind as he was from the front, but because he had seemed angry at her, and she couldn't understand what she had done.

Carol had always tried to be more of a peace keeper, and the thought that she had offended him chewed at her brain.

"Mama, can we go now, I'm tired,'' Sophia yawned. Carol looked at the time and realized it was eight already, Sophia's normal bedtime.

"Okay sure, sweetheart. Can you say thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Grimes and to Carl for having you over?'' Carol felt it was extremely important to make sure Sophia had manners, especially with the way kids seemed to be acting worse and worse these days. She wanted Sophia to be an exception.

"Thank you Mr. And Mrs. Grimes,'' she smiled. "Thank you, Carl.''

"You're welcome honey! You and your mama are welcome over any time, don't forget that, okay?'' Lori said to Sophia.

"Okay,'' Sophia promised, not knowing why Lori and Rick were so insistent about it.

On the walk home, Carol thought Sophia was about to fall asleep walking when she unexpectedly brought up Daryl.

"Mama, will Daryl be there next time we go to Carl's?'' she asked.

"I don't know, baby,'' Carol answered. Her brain started to go in over drive again. Why had he seemingly gotten mad? What had she done? Was it something she said? For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what she had done wrong.

It bothered her even more knowing that for the first time in Sophia's, and probably her life, she knew two men that weren't anything at all like Ed. Sophia had come out of her shell and been so friendly and care-free with Daryl.

Aside from his weird reaction, Carol didn't know what to make of him. He was physically appealing, she knew that much. He was good with kids too, and Rick and Lori seemed to trust him, which made Carol slightly more comfortable around the unfamiliar man.

Then again, he swore a lot, even in front of the kids. He swore like it was part of his normal vocabulary, like he didn't know any better though.

When Ed swore, it was with malice, usually towards her.

Daryl also said his family's name had a reputation, but she hadn't heard of them, and didn't know any of the stories that circulated through their town. She knew better than to believe such stories, regardless. Even if said stories were based in fact, appearances were not what they seemed, and everyone had their skeletons or demons they were facing.

Carol knew first hand. Her own family had actually had a good reputation, but it was different behind closed doors.

When she met Ed, she was only trading one hell in for the next.

* * *

Daryl couldn't get home fast enough. His blood was boiling, and his body was shaking. He didn't know why it was causing this effect on him. Sophia and Carol were **not **his problem.

He could tell, by the way she reacted to Rick, and by Rick's own reactions, that Carol was married to some sack of shit that didn't treat her right. He could see it in her face, and in her eyes.

Sophia's initial stand-offish behavior mirrored his own at that age, although Sophia was quick to let go of her fear of interacting with people.

He got home, thankful like always that even though he didn't live far from the Grimes', he lived far enough that his home was secluded, quiet and private, just the way he liked it, and his home stood right on the outskirts of the woods. He got home, grabbed his crossbow and went to the one place he could always find comfort and a release of stress in.

"Not my damn problem," he spat.

* * *

AN: Well, there we have it. Now we kind of know how they feel about each other, and at the end Daryl's sudden desire to leave was revealed. Norman Reedus once said that, "damaged people gravitate towards damaged people," (something along those lines, close enough, at least) and it's so true. I think that's why Daryl is able to tell with Carol and Sophia. He's been through abuse. He can pick up on those small, tell-tale signs that they don't even know they're giving out. He can pick up on the double meaning of Carol's vague answers, her reassurance that everything is fine. People feel like they need to say they're fine when they're far from it, to cover and protect themselves.

This finale though... I'm so anxious. I need a Caryl reunion. I don't know if they'll make us wait until next season or not, though. With everything that's supposed to go down in the finale, I don't know that they'd have time for an adequate reunion.

I've been messaging back and forth with a few of you, and a lot of people seem to be losing hope with Caryl. I really believe we're not getting our hopes up for nothing... I strongly believe Caryl must happen... They've been setting it up, it's just a matter of when they'll stop teasing us. I sincerely hope I am right about this.

Thank you to all of you, as always. I appreciate all the kind words and feedback I have received. It means more than you can know, and always puts a smile on my face.

I hope you all have a great day.

OH! And if you haven't seen it already, three things: Jimmy Fallon, Norman Reedus, Broapp. Look it up and swoon. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So. That finale. I'll be here trying to get you through this long wait with plenty of Caryl. (Don't worry, it's coming!) Plus, I'm always a message away. I've already been messaging back and forth with a few people, and some people are kind of losing hope on Caryl. I'm kind of disappointed myself, but I'm a firm believer that Caryl is end game. I'm not giving up hope on this ship. I will not go down with it, because it's not going down. I have to believe this, otherwise I may lose my sanity. Two other shows I watch have fucked with me, and I am not pleased. (I'm talking about you, How I Met Your Mother and Once Upon a Time!) Both effectively destroyed my two of my ships this week. If Walking Dead does that, I just might lose it, lol.

We'll get through this, Carylers, don't lose hope. They can't just dismiss four seasons worth of sexual tension and the unrivaled chemistry between Norman and Melissa on screen. If they do, they're fucking idiots, and we riot. They know that they will piss off a shit ton of people.

Anyway, rant over, on with the next chapter. I'm not too happy with it... I'm not good at the whole building relationships aspect of writing. I can write a pairing a lot easier when there's an established relationship, but I'm trying. I just want them together already! :(

* * *

Carol woke up the next morning with a smile on her face. Sophia was curled around her, still asleep. Carol savored the moment. Ed never allowed Sophia to sleep with them, even if Sophia was sick or woke up from a nightmare, it didn't matter. She snuggled even closer to her daughter and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"_If only Ed could be gone all the time," _she thought to herself, darkly. It could be just her and Sophia; everything would be perfect. What could she do, though? She had spent the last few years asking herself that question, and every time she came up with the same answer, _nothing. _

Carol woke up for the second time that morning to her daughter squirming to get out of the bed.

"Mama, I have to go to the bathroom,'' Sophia said shaking Carol.

"Okay, okay," Carol smiled letting her go and watching Sophia race out of the room.

Carol made the bed before Sophia reappeared. She came up and wrapped her arms around Carol's legs then looked up her best cute face and asked if they could go to the park.

"Sure," Carol replied.

"Can Carl come too?"

"I don't know if he'll be able to, but we can ask. Why don't you go get ready while I call?"

She picked up her phone when Sophia left and called Lori, who informed her that since Rick had to work and she had some sort of class, Daryl was watching Carl that day. Lori insisted that Carol call him invite them to go to the park and gave her his phone number before she could protest otherwise.

"Hello?" The second she heard his gruff voice she knew she had the right number.

"Daryl? It's Carol," she said nervously.

"Oh, well what can I do for ya?" Carol heard his muffled voice say to someone in the background, "Hey, quit climbin' on that shit. I ain't takin' ya to the hospital for bustin' your damn head open.''

"Sorry 'bout that,'' he said.

"It's fine. Sophia and I are going to the park, and she wanted to know if Carl could come. I called Lori and she said you were watching him,'' Carol said as she paced around her room.

"Sure, ain't got nothin' better to do and kid's been drivin' me up the fuckin' wall. 'S like they loaded 'im with sugar or somethin' before bringin' 'im over."

Carol let out a laugh. "Okay, well Sophia and I are going to get ready then we'll head over. Meet you there?''

"Sounds fine, see ya then.''

Carol got herself and Sophia ready, and packed sandwiches, drinks and snacks for not only Sophia and herself, but Carl and Daryl. She knew Sophia loved to go to the park, and they'd probably be there the majority of the day. She made sure that everything around the house was immaculate before they left, knowing Ed would be home later that night and she tried to avoid any reason he might get mad, not that she could always avoid it.

As soon as they got the park, she spotted Daryl sitting at one of the benches. She sat down next to him, placing the bag with lunches she had prepared on the ground.

"Daryl!" Sophia squealed with excitement. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"I was watchin' Carl and your Mama invited me," he explained.

She gave him a quick hug and then asked Carol if she could go play.

"Don't go too far," she warned as Sophia ran off in search of Carl.

While Sophia ran onto the playground to find Carl, Carol's nerves were in full force after the way Daryl had suddenly stormed out of the Grimes' house the previous night, and the fact that Rick and Lori weren't there this time.

"Jeez woman, ya walk all the way here?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow and squinting at her face.

"Well, Ed has the car, so…" She saw anger flash in his eyes, but as quickly as it had appeared it was gone. She made a note to avoid Ed in conversation as much as possible around him. That was fine with her though, it wasn't like she wanted to talk about him anyway.

"Why didn't ya tell me? Coulda picked ya up,'' he said as he looked to the playground, keeping an eye on Carl and Sophia.

"Oh that's okay, I'm used to walking everywhere, and Sophia always has a lot of energy to burn. I'm not a big fan of driving anyway," she admitted sheepishly. "I got into an accident a couple of years ago, and haven't been too keen on driving since.''

"Fine, but I'm drivin' ya two home. Ain't gonna let ya walk back by yourselves, and Sophia'll probably be tired out by then, chasin' after Carl's ass all day."

"No you don't have to-" She started to say before he cut her off.

"I know that, but I want to, no arguin','' he said, looking into her eyes again. Carol knew that arguing further would be futile, so she let it go. Carol was learning quickly that he was a very stubborn man, but used it as a means to be kind.

Normally, she wouldn't have asked Daryl to even come, but if Rick, who was like a brother to her, and Lori, trusted him, then she could find herself trusting him as well. Her relationship with Ed had taught her to be skeptical towards people, but she had a feeling that with Daryl what you saw was what you got, nothing more, and nothing less.

"Alright then," she complied.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, I brought some food and drinks, you and Carl can help yourselves," she gestured to the bag she had set down on the ground.

"Didn't have to do that," he said, surprised that she had thought to bring extra food for him and Carl.

"I know, but I wanted to," she teased, using his aforementioned argument against him. They smiled at each other as Sophia and Carl ran up to them, wanting to know if Carol and Daryl would push them on the swings.

They spent most of the day there, losing track of time until Carol remembered Ed was coming home that night. Her face fell to a look of dread.

"Oh no," she whispered in fear as she checked the time on her watch, seeing that it was five minutes to six.

"Somewhere ya gotta be?" Daryl asked, wondering why she had suddenly become panicky.

"I'm sorry but I have to leave, like, right now. Sophia!" She called out, and Sophia came running toward her.

"Come on baby, we have to go," she said, grabbing their bag and Sophia's hand.

"Hang on, said I'd take ya home, let me get Carl," Daryl said as he stood up.

"No!" She replied curtly. "I- we can't. If Ed's already there and sees you…" she let the end of her sentence trail off.

He nodded at her in understanding, the anger appearing in his eyes again. She felt a funny feeling in her chest seeing the way his face had hardened, as she said goodbye to him.

"Alrigh' then. Thanks for invitin' us," he said as she turned to leave.

"Oh an' Carol? Ya can call me," he blushed. "I mean, if that husband o' yours gives ya any trouble."

"I can handle it, but thank you," she said as she and Sophia started to make their way home. Carol wasn't all that religious, but she found herself praying that Ed wouldn't be home. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid as to lose track of time.

She sighed in relief when they rounded the block to their house and noticed Ed's car wasn't in the driveway yet.

Once they were in the house, Carol asked Sophia to go up to her room, where Sophia spent most of her time.

Carol went to change her clothes and get dinner started. Ed came home half an hour later in a surly mood. "How was your night, Ed?" She asked timidly.

"Lost a hundred fucking dollars," he swore. "Gonna get it back next weekend, though. Where the fuck is dinner?"

"It's still cooking. I'm sorry, I lost track of time and-"

"What the hell were you doing? How do you lose track of time sitting around all day? Were you out with some other guy? Is that how you were passing time you little whore?" He moved towards her and grabbed a fistful of her hair in his hands.

"No," she stuttered, "Sophia and I were watching a movie and-"

"Fucking save it. I don't want to hear any of your bullshit. You're going to pay for this shit. I'll show you that you're mine, nobody else is ever going to want your ugly ass, especially when I'm done with you," he snarled, dragging her away.

* * *

Carol woke up, laying on the floor of their cellar the next morning with her head pounding. She stood up shakily, with her legs sore from last night. She lifted her shirt and examined the fresh bruises on her stomach. She looked at the three parallel lines of blood that ran over the right side of her ribs, and winced as she pulled the shirt back down.

She felt like her whole body was one giant bruise, nearly every part of it was sore.

She went upstairs, thankful that the door wasn't locked. It wouldn't have been the first time he locked her in their tiny cellar.

The house was quiet, and she hoped Sophia was still asleep. She looked outside the front window and saw that Ed's car was gone, and breathed for what felt like the first time that morning.

She went to the bathroom, and grabbed some supplies to clean herself up. Luckily he had left her face alone. The rest of the bruises and marks that marred her body would be easy to hide. She'd been hiding them for more than five years. All she had to do was wear the right clothing, and nobody would know.

Even when she had gone to the police before, they had done nothing about it, offering her advice to get a divorce and get a restraining order. Ed had ended up finding out about her visit, and it hadn't ended well. Since then she had been terrified of going to the police or anyone else.

There was another time she had called Jane, her adoptive mother and asked for help. Jane hadn't been an ideal person to have as a mother figure, but Carol had nobody else at that point. Jane had only told her that she had married Ed, and she had to deal with it and fix her marriage and make it work. Jane had died a couple months later from alcoholism.

"_You could call Daryl," _a voice crept up in her mind. She looked in the mirror, and saw how defeated she looked. She shook her head in answer to the thought of calling Daryl. It was a nice thought to entertain, that somehow this man she had just met could be her knight in sleeveless armor, but she couldn't drag him into her mess, the mess she had gotten herself into. Besides, she was old enough to know better that life wasn't a fairy tale, and not everybody got their happily ever after.

* * *

Thanks for sticking around, let me know what you thought. Thank you as always for all of the reviews, watches, favorites, words of encouragement, etc. I sincerely appreciate it more than you all know. I hope you all have a great day. Caryl on, my friends, and remember I'm always a message away, and more than willing to discuss Caryl or The Walking Dead in general, or whatever.

On another note, I've been toying with the idea of a Caryl story with a Beauty and the Beast aspect to it. I don't know if it's been done before, but it's bouncing around in my head right now.

'Til next time!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I know it hasn't been _that _long, but I still feel like it's been forever since I updated. So, sorry about that. I wasn't sure what I was doing with this chapter. At first it was going to go like this, then I changed my mind and decided I wanted to use this as a later chapter, then I changed my mind back, because this fits better posting it now, knowing where I want to go with this story.

More noteworthiness: I have a tumblr and twitter. I'm still trying to feel my way around tumblr, but I had to follow U.S.S. Caryl. That's how it began, really. The links are in my profile if you'd like to follow. I promise if you do, there's more Caryl goodness. And it'd make me happy, haha.

Hopefully you all like this chapter. I'm kind of worried with how I'm progressing Carol and Daryl. I feel like I'm developing them too fast, but I can't help it! They want to be together dammit! It's bad enough we have to suffer with them on the show, I shouldn't be making you guys suffer, right?

Yeah, anyways, as always, I am above and beyond thankful for all the reviews, favorites, follows, reads, etc. etc. You guys are the best.

P.S. I have another fic, called Nine Lives if you wanna check it out. Basically, it's about Carol being a bad ass, and follows the season 4 finale, somewhat.

P.S.S. I'm open to taking fic requests. I got my first one, and I'm going to try to work something out. I already have a couple ideas. The person requested something that focused on Daryl and Sophia, so yeah, look for that in the future. I can't make any promises on the requests, but I'll try!

* * *

A short time later, Ed had come back with flowers and a half-assed apology that Carol pretended to believe. He even took it a step further by taking them to The Boulevard, a local diner in town and letting them order whatever they wanted.

Overall, the night hadn't been unpleasant, but Carol was worried be would snap at any moment. Fortunately, he never did. He was even nice to Sophia, letting her order whatever she wanted and asking her how school was. Ed didn't even pretend to pay attention to Sophia's answer, not that she offered much, but he had never asked her anything, that Carol could recall.

Carol, of course, knew better than to believe his apologies were sincere. He had been feeding them to her for over five years now, and they never stuck for long. He would seem fine, as close to a loving and attentive husband and father as he was capable of, until _she_ did something to screw everything up, again. She'd always inevitably up saying or doing something wrong and setting him off again.

The week passed by without incident. Ed was not as… _charming, _as he was on Sunday after dinner, but he wasn't at his worst, either.

Ed's temper had flared up again when he came home from work Friday night. Something was wrong with the car, it was making some sort of weird noise, and instead of being able to drive to Frank's for poker night, he decided to get a ride so he could leave Carol with the task of getting the car fixed.

The next day she brought Sophia to Rick and Lori's before bringing the car to Daryl's shop. She had remembered that he was a mechanic, and felt more comfortable bringing the car there than to anywhere else.

"Well hello there, sugar. What brings a beautiful lady like yourself in here?" asked a guy behind the counter.

"Hi," she smiled shyly. "My name's Carol, I was wondering if Daryl was here?"

He licked his lips and his face lit up. "Oh shit," he laughed, "My baby bro finally went and got himself a tight piece of ass and a damn fine one at that."

"Oh we're not-" she started as her face turned an embarrassing shade of red as the man she assumed to be Daryl's brother, Merle, walked through another door. She heard him shout over the noises of the shop, "How come you didn't tell me ya was finally gettin' laid? And by such a fuckin' hot one too! I wouldn't mind havin' a piece o' her myself!"

She heard Daryl swear loudly but couldn't make out the rest of what he said to Merle.

Daryl walked in a few minutes later, wearing normal mechanic's clothes that were covered in dirt and various black stains.

"Hey," he smiled at her. "Sorry about Merle," he apologized weakly. "Warned ya about him, but most people don't believe me 'til they actually meet him."

"It's alright," she smirked, sure that her face was still red from Merle's comments. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had even hinted that she was attractive in any way. It was almost nice, in a way, to hear what Merle said about her.

"I was wondering if you could take a look at my car? It's making some weird grinding sound, like metal."

"Alrigh' I'll take a look. Could be the brakes or suspension," he said.

"Thank you so much," she said in relief. "Would you be able to get to it today? Or should I come back another time?"

"Nah, I'll take a look at it right now."

"Oh you don't have to do that, I don't want any special treatment," she blushed.

"Ain't special treatment. Been quiet around here lately anyway. Car I'm workin' on now, guy's a real son of a bitch, he can wait a bit longer," he winked.

"If you're sure," she said hesitantly.

"Shouldn't take too long anyway. Why don't ya come back and sit in my office. Ain't much but there's a li'l TV in there and it's better than waitin' out here. Couch is more comfy than them chairs too."

"Wanna drink?" He asked her as they approached his office. He held the door open and let her in to his small but cozy looking office. There was an old tube TV mounted in one corner of the wall, a mini-fridge on the floor beneath it, with a small, old looking couch along the adjacent wall. On the other end of the room was his desk, holding an older model computer, a remote for the TV, and a bunch of scattered paperwork.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," she paused before adding, "For everything."

He nodded before leaving to go work on her car. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. Settling on a re-run of some old show, she sat down on the couch. Deciding she wasn't comfortable, she adjusted so her legs were underneath her and her head rested on her arm.

* * *

She hissed in pain as she was being jostled awake. Daryl's eyes met hers as she slowly blinked them open, adjusting to the light, and sat up. He was kneeling on the floor in front of her.

"What's wrong with ya shoulder?" He had an accusing look in his eyes, as though he already knew the answer and was waiting for her to confirm his suspicions.

She could lie, or tell him how she let her husband beat her the other day, accusing her of sleeping around when he had come home to find his dinner wasn't ready, then left her in the cellar overnight. She had already determined that she wanted to keep Daryl out of it, so lying seemed to be the optimal choice.

"I'm really clumsy," she smiled meekly. "Ran into a door." She felt stupid after saying it, but it was the first thing she came up with. Hesitating would only make him more suspicious than he already was. She hoped that she would get lucky, and he would drop the subject.

"Ya might be clumsy, but I'm sure as shit that ain't wha' happened. How 'bout ya go for the truth this time?" His blue eyes gazed into hers, not with anger, but with an intensity like she'd never seen before. He waited patiently, and she looked away, unable to bring herself to tell him the truth.

Carol remained silent and was about to get up when his hand reached out, barely touching her shoulder. His fingers shakily met the edge of her shirt, and he paused, looking at her, as though asking for her permission to continue. When he received no response, he tenderly moved her shirt aside, enough to notice the angry purple and browns that marred the skin there.

"Son of a bitch," he swore, letting out a deep breath. "I'm gonna kill that fucker." He said it as though it were a fact, not a statement made out of a burst of anger. Carol looked into his eyes and noticed that he was completely serious. She thought that she should be afraid, that this man could so easily say he would kill someone, but instead, it warmed her.

Daryl wasn't like Ed. Daryl was only ready to kill Ed because he had hurt her. Ed used violence almost as a hobby or past time. He used it in even the most minor situations.

"No," she said softly, bringing her hand up to his cheek, barely touching him. It soothed him, and he closed his eyes taking in deep breaths.

"I can't let something happen to you, just because I've made some mistakes in my life."

He stood up and swore, pinching the bridge of his nose. He walked over to the trash can sitting beside his desk and kicked it. Carol flinched at the sound it made when it hit the wall. She took in deep breaths, trying to calm herself again. This was Daryl, not Ed. Daryl wasn't going to hurt her. Daryl, not Ed. Daryl. She kept those thoughts going through her mind before she spoke up.

"Why?" She asked softly.

"Why what?" He growled before he turned around to face her.

"I-nevermind," she said, losing her courage and dropping her head.

"I take it the car is fixed? How much do I owe you?" She asked as she reached for her purse.

He sighed, feeling his anger start to dissipate and stopped her. "Don't owe me nothin'."

"What?" Her eyebrows knit together, perplexed at his answer. Why wouldn't he want payment from her? Was he expecting something else? Carol wasn't the type to accept hand-outs. She tried to be independent as much as possible. As much as she could before Ed, at least. He had stripped her of that, forcing her to become dependent on him. He was the breadwinner, he made all the money, controlled everything.

"Save it. Don't let that bastard husband o' yours get it." Carol's confusion remained. The question she wanted to ask mere minutes ago crept up in her mind again. Why did he care so much? She wasn't his problem. She was used to dealing with Ed on her own. She was used to the looks she got, the looks of people who pitied her, but stayed silent. She was used to people judging her, saying she should have known what she was getting into. She needed to stay with Ed because of Sophia. She needed to work her marriage out. She had heard it all.

But this, _someone caring,_ was new to her.

"I can't…he'll find it." A cold shiver ran through her body, just at the thought of what Ed would do to her if he found the money.

"So hide it," Daryl replied simply, as though it'd be the easiest thing in the world.

"Keep it for yourself. Might need it one day," he said before leaving her in the office and going back into the garage to work on the car that belonged to the "prick" he had mentioned earlier.

She stood there for a minute, not quite believing what had happened. This man just constantly surprised her. He was unlike anyone she had ever met before. He was rough around the edges, and gave off this impression that he was a bad ass redneck, but there was more to him than that, and Carol wanted to find out what that was.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I've delayed putting this up, because I'm not too terribly thrilled with it. On the other hand, things will only get fluffier and happier from here. I am really looking forward to sharing the next couple of chapters.

* * *

Carol knew instantly what she was going to do with at least part of the money Daryl had given her. Sophia might be able to have her first real birthday party. Usually it was just the two of them, celebrating her special day. Carol always tried her best to make sure it was special for Sophia. This year, maybe she could do more. She could invite Rick, Lori and Carl, maybe Daryl would come. Hell, she'd even invite Merle. The more the merrier, right?

The last time they all had dinner together, she had brought up Sophia's birthday and everyone had accepted her invitation to come, even Merle, who had become another person on the list of people who Sophia had wrapped around her fingers.

Carol was happy, truly happy, Ed aside, for the first time in a long time. She smiled a lot more, and had hope. There was now more to her life than Ed, and Sophia was happy. That was what made the biggest difference. She hadn't noticed just how much Sophia was effected by their home life until she saw her break out her shell with the Grimes and the Dixons.

Carol went to the store the day before Sophia's birthday to pick up a cake, balloons, decorations and other supplies for the party. She dropped the supplies off at the house, not bothering to hide them yet since Ed wasn't due home for another two hours before she went to go pick up Sophia from school.

As they walked home hand in hand, Carol stopped in panic as she saw Ed's car in the driveway. She tried to remain calm for Sophia, who hadn't noticed anything was wrong, and slowed her pace, trying to delay the inevitable. Maybe Ed would be in a good mood, maybe he'd understand that Sophia deserved to have a birthday party, like any other normal kid.

Somehow she doubted that. She tried to come up with an excuse, somewhere to go, something she had to do, so she wouldn't have to face. Carol ended up giving in, knowing that the longer they stayed away, the more angry Ed would be.

They made it to the house all too quickly, and before turning the knob, Carol spoke to Sophia in a hushed whisper. "Go straight to your room, and shut the door, okay?"

"Yes mama," she answered shakily. Something bad was going to happen, Sophia knew it. Her mama always acted this way when something bad was going to happen.

As soon as Carol opened the door she heard Ed's voice yelling throughout the house. She glanced worriedly at Sophia who raced up the stairs and disappeared into her room.

Ed came into the room then and grabbed Carol, shoving her against the door.

"Where the hell were you and what the fuck is all that shit in the kitchen?" He screamed at her.

Carol was about to speak when Ed slapped her across the face, and grabbed a handful of her hair. He pulled her head away from the door before slamming the side of her face into it.

"I asked you a question you dumb bitch!"

"It's nothing," Carol cried. "It's just for me and Sophia. I wanted to make her birthday special," she pleaded.

"Fucking liar!" Ed snarled before making a fist and bringing it to her stomach. Carol slid down and crossed her arms in front of her, trying to make the pain a little less.

"I know all about your little fucking friends," he said, grabbing her hair again and raising her head, forcing her to look him in the face. "How many of them are you fucking?" He asked.

"None," she choked out.

"Oh, I doubt that. Maybe I'll just go ask Sophia," he grinned. "Maybe I can teach her to not be a whore like her mother," he grinned wickedly at her.

"No, leave her alone!" Carol cried out as she tried to pick herself up off the floor. Ed had already started up the stairs towards Sophia's room. By the time Carol got up there, he had kicked the door in, and he was heading towards Sophia, who had tucked herself into the furthest corner of the room. Carol grabbed a vase from the hall and threw it at Ed's head.

"Mama!" Sophia cried out.

"I'm calling the cops, Ed." Carol said in a dangerously low voice. "I'm done. You're not going to hurt my daughter," she spat, leaning against the doorframe. "You've hurt us long enough! I've given you everything and everything I haven't given, you've taken from me!"

He laughed at her. She backed away slowly, trying to get him to follow her out of Sophia's room. She made her way to the house phone in the hall and held it in front of her, her finger ready to press the call button. She hoped he wouldn't notice how badly she felt she was shaking. She was determined to be strong, to be strong for Sophia.

"Get out, Ed," she hissed venomously.

"Fuckin' crazy ass bitch," he muttered. He grabbed the car keys and left, tearing out of the driveway. Luckily, he had listened to her, believing she would call. Ed couldn't go to prison, according to him, men like him didn't belong in prison. He'd come back when she had cooled down, and realized that she had nothing without him.

Carol threw the phone down and ran back to Sophia, scooping her up into her arms. She didn't bother calling the cops, because she had lost all faith when they refused to do anything the first time she went to them. Instead, she was playing on Ed's fear of going to prison, and thankfully it had worked.

Once she calmed Sophia down, she grabbed her purse and left, but not before she saw a glimpse of the destroyed kitchen, and noticed how Ed had ruined nearly all of the things she bought for Sophia's party. The cake she had gotten was all smashed. Pieces of what remained of the balloons littered the floor. The Happy Birthday banner that she was going to put on the wall had been torn apart. Carol ignored the desire to cry as she took Sophia out of the house.

They started walking towards Rick's house, the only cop she did trust. She couldn't stay in the house, not knowing when Ed would be back. He had gone after Sophia this time, and that was the final straw. Carol thought she could protect Sophia by staying with Ed, but that was no longer the case. She had stupidly fooled herself into believing it, and her daughter had suffered because of it. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive herself for that.

Lori answered the door when they got there, and Carol thanked God that they were home. "Oh honey," she sighed, leading her into the house.

"Here, sit down," she gestured to the couch. "I'm going to get Rick." Sophia sat in Carol's lap and laid against her.

Rick came down fuming with Lori behind him a few moments later. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital? You're going to file charges against him, right?" She had never seen Rick talk so fast or look so angry in the years she had known him.

"We're okay, no, and yes," Carol said quietly, almost not trusting her voice, as she ran her fingers through Sophia's blonde hair.

"Mama?" Sophia asked as she lifted her head up. "Is Daryl coming?"

"I'll go call him," Lori interrupted before Carol could answer. Lori had felt uncomfortable, not knowing what to do or say for Carol or her daughter. At least calling Daryl would be doing _something_ and she knew how much the Dixon brothers had grown to care about the two of them.

"Alright, I'm going to go call Shane, he's on duty right now. I'll have him come over here so we don't have to drag her down to the station." Both Rick and Lori left the room before Carol could get another word in edge wise. She was thankful, in a way. She felt so ashamed, having nowhere else to turn, nowhere else to go.

Lori came back in before Rick. As soon as Daryl said Carol and Sophia were there and that Ed had gone after them, Daryl had hung up and raced out of his house before he could even tell Merle where he was going. "You really didn't have to call Daryl," Carol said to her.

"Nonsense, he adores Sophia and he cares about you. Rick uh, didn't want me to tell you this but," Lori looked away from Carol and checked to make sure Rick wasn't about to come in.

"Daryl came by a couple of weeks ago, worried about you. He was throwin' a fit. We all had a feeling about Ed, but Daryl was pissed. He said he saw bruises on you," she said, lowering her voice. "Rick was angry too, but he had to calm Daryl down. Daryl was getting mad at Rick for being a cop and not doing anything. Rick had to explain they couldn't do anything because you hadn't pressed charges. I thought Daryl was going to go after Ed himself. We've um, we've all been talking. About how we could get you away from Ed," she admitted. "We just felt so helpless… and we didn't want to see either of you get hurt," she blinked the tears away from her eyes.

Carol looked away in shame, feeling fresh tears sting her eyes. She had tried so hard to cover it up and they had all known. The tears had made their way into sobs as Carol thought about how screwed up she had let her life get, Sophia aside. She should have listened to Rick's warnings when they were still in high school. Rick had seen something in Ed that she hadn't seen yet, because she was so desperate to get away from her latest foster family. She was so desperate to feel loved and wanted, that she found it in the arms of the first man to show her attention.

"Are you okay, Mama?" Sophia asked, touching her hand to Carol's cheek. Before Carol could reply, the door swung open and Daryl stalked over to where they were sitting. "Daryl!" Sophia squealed, leaping out of her mom's arms and into Daryl's. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her tightly to him, while he looked at Carol. He let one of his hands drift to her face, running his finger slightly over the bruise that had formed.

He felt rage bubbling up inside of him, and fought the urge to go stomp Ed's ugly mug in. He pushed it aside, because Carol and Sophia needed him more at the moment. He could go beat up Ed's ass later. He needed to make sure they were okay first. He held Sophia even tighter, using his need to comfort her as an anchor to keep him from going after Ed.

The rest of the night was one big blur that left everyone exhausted. Tears had been shed, pictures taken, statements written down… Just when Carol thought she couldn't take anymore, Officer Walsh had informed them that he didn't need anything further. Carol felt wary of the man, but Rick had convinced her she could trust him. When he promised to find Ed, Carol was tempted to believe him.

After Shane left, Rick and Daryl refused to let Carol go back home, worried that Ed would show up.

It ended up being decided that Carol and Sophia would stay with Daryl and Merle. Rick and Lori would have offered, but they didn't have the space, and they weren't comfortable with leaving Lori, Carol, and two kids alone in the house with Ed on the loose when Rick had to work the next morning.

Daryl on the other hand, had plenty of room at the house he had inherited and fixed up. He and Merle would be home, and everyone knew better than to mess with the Dixons, even Ed Peletier.

* * *

AN: Phew! I really struggled with this one. For most of it, I had been also working on my other fix, _Demons, _and that had really taken up a good chunk of my muse. I was thinking of saving it, but it doesn't fit with either of the ongoing fics I have currently. If you haven't already, check it out. It's AU, Caryl, and smut. Do you really need to know more?

If you have checked it out already, thank you! It was meant to be a one-shot but I may (probably) end up writing another chapter, as long as the muse cooperates.

Not to sound like a broken record, but thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the support you guys and gals have been giving me with my fics. It really means so much to me.

Keep Caryling, shipmates, we're still very much afloat.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl had a hard time sleeping that night. The crossbow he decided to keep in reach, just in case, wasn't enough to clear his mind enough so that he could fall asleep. It was like he kept waiting for something to happen. He kept waiting for Sophia or Carol to wake up from a nightmare, or wake up and be confused that they weren't in their own house. He kept waiting for Ed to come knocking down his door, which he almost hoped would happen, so that he could kick his ass, send it straight to hell, and get it done and over with.

Laying in the darkness, he sat up as he came to a realization. Carol had explained that Ed had been set off by the supplies for Sophia's birthday party. Sophia's birthday. Her birthday was tomorrow.

"Shit," he groaned, laying back down.

It seemed like sleep had finally claimed him only minutes before the alarm started blaring. He turned it off quickly, hoping it hadn't woken up anyone else in the house. It was weird for him to be worrying about it, since he was normally the only one in the house.

Daryl got up and ready for the day as quietly as he could before he went to Merle's room. "Hey get ya ass up," he said, trying to shake Merle awake. Finally Merle's eyes opened squinting at him before looking at the time. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Nah."

"Then what the hell are ya doin' wakin' me up at the ass crack o' dawn?" Merle groaned, burying his face in the pillow.

"I'm goin' to the store, dumb ass. Want ta make sure ya keep an eye on Carol and Sophia," he grunted at his brother.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Merle muttered, waving his brother off before burying his face back into his pillow. Satisfied, Daryl got in his truck and left, driving to the next town over, knowing that it had a party supply store. He realized on the drive that he was in some deep shit. Somehow this woman and her kid had wormed their way into his heart.

He couldn't imagine not giving Sophia a proper birthday party. Of course, Daryl had never had one, but he liked to think he didn't turn out too bad, regardless of what the Dixon reputation was. Hell, he probably only knew his birthday because of Merle. His parents never acknowledged his birthday, but Merle had always tried to do at least a little something when he was a kid. One time Merle had managed to get him a small cake that even had his name on it, and at the time it had been one of the best birthdays he had ever had.

Knowing what it was like, Daryl didn't want that for Sophia. Ed might have tried to ruin her birthday, but he wasn't going to let that happen.

The second he stepped inside the store, he knew he was in over his head. He thought it'd be simple, he didn't realize there'd be so much to pick from. He became nervous, trying to pick out one that she'd like. When a sales associate came by and asked if he needed help, he hesitated before admitting he did.

The girl, Amy, brought him over to where their most popular supplies were. Realizing it was a mixture of cartoons he didn't recognize and boy bands, he lost hope at being able to pick one. Sensing his discouragement, Amy led him to another section where the general party supplies were.

He ended up leaving with a theme that had no cartoons or princesses or boy bands. It was plain, but still festive with a lot of colors and that looked like it sparkled.

Daryl stopped at the toy store next, and wished he was back at the party supply store, because as uncomfortable as he was there, he was completely out of his element in the toy store.

He meandered through the aisles, and came to the conclusion that the girls' toys were crap, and he had no clue what to get. There was no way he was going to get one of those creepy ass looking dolls. He saw more boy band stuff and rolled his eyes. Hell no. He kept walking until he ran into the bike section.

Bingo.

He picked out a pink bike that looked about her size, with training wheels that could be taken off. He wasn't sure if Sophia had a bike. If it was up to Ed, he was sure she wouldn't have one. Regardless, Daryl was counting on the fact that Carol and Sophia would be spending a lot more time at his house. There was a conversation he wanted to have with Carol after the party.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carol woke up to Sophia bouncing on the bed that they had shared for the night in Daryl's house. "It's my birthday!" She squealed with joy.

"Yes it is," Carol laughed. "Happy birthday, baby girl," she smiled, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Hearing a knock on the door, Sophia leaped up and ran to open it. Carol got out of the bed and walked over to see Merle standing there.

"Mornin' li'l darlin'" he said to Sophia, bending down to lift her up. "I heard it was someone's birthday today… Is it mine?" He asked. Sophia giggled and shook her head. Merle scratched his head in fake confusion. "Oh, then it must be ya mama's," he said as though he had just discovered a grand secret.

"No," Sophia whined, carrying the word out. "It's mine!" Carol stood there in amusement.

"Oh," Merle drawled. "Happy birthday Sophia. Would the birthday girl like some breakfas'?" Merle asked, tickling her stomach.

"Yeah, my tummy's making the rumbles!" Merle carried her out of the room, with Carol following close behind. "Where's Daryl?" Sophia asked as she sat down at the small kitchen table, taking the words from Carol's mouth.

"He had to go do somethin' should be back soon," he said as he rummaged through the cupboards and fridge, trying to see if there was anything edible in the house. That stuff was always up to Daryl. Merle would be fine eating take out and frozen dinners all the time.

Carol came up behind him while he was at the fridge and touched his shoulder. "I'll make something. It's the least I can do," she said as he turned around to face her. She looked in the fridge and grabbed the eggs and bacon she found in there, and set to making breakfast.

* * *

Daryl could smell food cooking as soon as he stepped foot in the house, trying to be as quiet as possible as he brought in all of the things he had bought for the party, aside from Sophia's bike. Merle came out, and Daryl smack him on the back of the head. "Damn baby bro," Merle muttered. Daryl hushed him. "Keep them outta here. An' why the hell are ya makin' her cook your lazy ass breakfast for?"

"She offered, said it was a thank ya for lettin' her stay here," he explained. Daryl sighed and shook his head. "Whatever, jus' keep 'em in there 'til I say."

It didn't take Daryl long to set things up in the dining room and he soon joined the others in the kitchen.

"Daryl!" Sophia squealed, getting up to wrap her arms around him. He lifted her up and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Happy birthday, peach. Got a surprise in the other room for ya."

Sophia's blue eyes widened. "Really?" She asked, trying to get down, eager to find out what her surprise was. Carol's eyes looked at his with a questioning curiosity and he merely smiled as he followed Sophia and Carol followed the two of them into the other room.

He was hoping that Sophia would like it. It wasn't like he had much experience with parties, kids, or even birthdays in general. When he saw her face fill with joy, he smiled, glad that he hadn't messed it up. Carol's mouth fell open when she walked into the room, and she tried to hold the tears in that were threatening to escape.

"I uh, I figured since we couldn't have 'er birthday at your house like we was plannin', that we could have it here. Rick and Lori already know. Hope i's alright," he muttered, keeping his eyes locked on Sophia, who was still looking at her decorations.

"Mama, look, balloons!" Sophia pointed out, interrupting what Carol had been about to say, before running over to Daryl to hug him once again. "Thank you, Daryl," she said before taking off to further examine her decorations.

Carol walked over so that she was standing in front of Daryl. "Thank you," she said quietly. "After yesterday, I didn't know what I was going to do. You didn't have to do all of this," she gestured. "You didn't have to take me and Sophia in last night, but I'm so grateful. I can't thank you enough for everything," she ended shakily.

Daryl's cheeks reddened. He still hadn't figured out exactly what it was about this woman and her daughter, but he felt a pull towards them. He felt like he had to protect them. He wanted to make them happy.

"It's nothing'," he answered. "You finally bein' away from Ed is enough," he said quietly so that Sophia wouldn't hear. Carol searched his eyes and realized he was telling the truth. She had to look down from the intensity of his gaze. Daryl was still somewhat of a mystery to her, but she trusted him. He wasn't an open book, but he didn't put on a façade like Ed did. The mask Daryl wore was more about protecting himself, whereas Ed's was about protecting his reputation and manipulating people.

Daryl cleared his throat and spoke up, changing the topic. "Figured we could get pizza or somethin' later," he suggested.

"Can we, Mama?" Sophia asked as Merle entered the room.

"I don't know Soph," Carol admitted, biting her lip.

"It's on us," Merle answered, before Daryl could say anything. Carol looked at him in surprise. "You've already set all this up," she said hesitantly.

"Don't worry 'bout it. It'll be my present for her. Couldn't think o' nothin' to get her anyway. Don't know nothin' 'bout all that girly shit. What ya like on your pizza, pumpkin?"

"Cheese!" Sophia answered, as Merle chuckled. "Yeah, anythin' else?"

"Sauce?" She said questioningly.

"Seriously, what do ya feed this kid?" Merle looked at Carol. "No sausage, pepperoni or mushrooms?" Merle asked as Carol made a face. "Y'all are borin'," he snickered.

"Hey!" Sophia pouted. Merle sighed, "I'm jus' kiddin', but I'mma show you what a real pizza is." At the look on Sophia's face, he added, "I'll get ya one wit' jus' sauce and cheese too, 'case ya don't like it." Her smile reappeared and she asked when the party was going to start.

* * *

After Sophia had been tucked in for the night, Carol made her way back downstairs to help clean up. The party had tired both her and Sophia out. Sophia had been ecstatic and bouncing off of the walls all day, which meant she had also crashed pretty early.

Daryl took the decorations down and Carol started to clean up the wrapping paper and other garbage.

He paused when he nearly stepped on the doll that Carl had brought. "Tha's some creepy ass lookin' shit," he muttered to himself. Carol chuckled, overhearing him. "Lori picked it out. It is kind of scary looking, isn't it? Sophia seems to like it though," she shrugged.

"Makes me think of this movie Merle made me watch when I was a kid 'bout some doll comin' to life and killin' people. Scared the shit outta me," he reminisced. Carol laughed. "I don't think we have to worry about that. At least it's not a clown. Now _they _are scary."

"You're afraid o' a person in make-up and a big ol' red nose that tries to make people laugh?" He asked skeptically.

"Yeah well, one of my foster parents watch a scary movie about a clown that terrorized this group of kids. I haven't liked them ever since."

Daryl snorted in amusement. "Hey," she admonished jokingly, "I didn't make fun of you so you can't laugh at me." She pouted, and Daryl thought that she looked cute when she did that. It wasn't hard to see where Sophia got it from.

"Alrigh' alrigh'," he put his hands up in mock surrender, enjoying their light banter.

"I think Sophia's favorite present was the bike, though," Carol mused as they both brought the dirty plates and cups into the kitchen. "Didn't know what else to get," Daryl admitted. He hadn't known what else to get, but the joy that lit up Sophia's face when she saw it told him he must have done something right.

"You didn't have to get anything," she responded, setting the dishes down and spinning around to face him. He set the dishes he was holding in the sink then looked at her. "I wanted to," Daryl responded.

"Actually, I wanted to ask ya somethin'," he said before she could say anything else.

"I was thinkin' that uh, you should move in. At leas' for now, while they're lookin' for Ed," he blushed. He had been thinking about it for a while, but Carol's decision to finally leave Ed gave him the courage to ask her. This way he and Merle could keep her and Sophia safe. They had the extra room in the house, so that wasn't a problem. The house was paid off, and Daryl made enough to support them for the meantime.

Carol didn't even attempt to hide the shock that came over her. "Daryl, no, I-we can't," she started, her eyes going wide.

Daryl's temper flared. He wasn't asking her for anything. He had the extra room, she needed to be away from Ed. He was failing to see what the problem was. Then a thought hit him. Maybe he was the problem. Maybe she was afraid of what people would say, about them living with the "good for nothing Dixons."

His hands clenched into fists as he tried to keep his temper in check. "Why not?" He asked, waiting impatiently for her answer.

"We just can't," she said softly without further explanation.

"I ain't seein' the damn problem here. Ya don't trust me. That it?'' Daryl couldn't keep his temper in check any longer, and he was starting to take it out on her.

"No of course not…'' Carol said. She didn't know what to say, or how to calm him down. He had already done so much for them, she was starting to feel like some sort of charity case, and she felt like she was depending on him entirely too much. Ed was still out there… if he found out… Carol couldn't even think about it.

"So what, is it 'cause ya think I'm just some redneck piece o' trash too? Huh? Is that it Carol? 'Cause I know I ain't much, but I'd think that livin' with me would be a shit ton better than livin' with that sack a shit for a husband ya got!''

"I-''

"An' what about Sophia? Damn woman, don'tcha care about her at all? Huh? Ain't ya supposed to keep her safe?'' He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth and her eyes filled up with tears. His rage calmed down, although it was still present.

"Didn't mean that… Ya a damn good mama. Jus' Don' know what's so bad about me that ya can't stand the thought o' choosin' to live with me over that ass!'' Daryl turned to leave and had made it to the doorway when Carol's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Ain't got nothin' more to say,'' he spat out. "Watched my old man beat my ma all growin' up, 'til the day she died. Had to live with myself o'er that. Now I can do somethin' but I guess I ain't good enough.''

He shook off her grasp and disappeared out the door. Carol, stunned and not knowing what else to do, didn't go after him. Instead, she slid slowly to the floor and covered her face in her hands, finally letting the tears out that had been building up the past few days.

Merle found her sitting on the floor staring into space some time later. How much later, she wasn't sure.

He looked confused and uncomfortable as he took in her reddened eyes. "My brother an' ya get into a fight?" He asked.

She kept staring forward, not answering him. "C'mon," he held his hand out to her. "Might as well go sit somewhere comfortable if'n you're gonna wait for 'im." Merle led her to the couch in the living room. He sat down on the opposite end and started to twiddle his thumbs, unused to being around a woman that he wasn't looking to have sex with, but who had become his only female friend.

"My baby bro, he's got a temper, but he was always the sweet one. I tried to look after him, when he was growin' up, but I reckon he looked after me more. He don't show it too much, but he's got a big heart. Ain't seen him so comfortable with someone other than Officer Friendly the way is with ya. Never even noticed him talkin' to another girl in his life. Think I scared him away from 'em, with all the ones I brought back home," he chuckled.

Carol sat there looking emotionless, but paying attention to what Merle was saying.

"He should be back soon," Merle answered. "Y'all will work it out," he said encouragingly. "He's just gotta cool down. He goes into the forest to think. He's more comfortable out there than he is cooped up inside."

"He said," Carol started, her voice hoarse from finally talking after all of the crying she had done, "He said that your father used to beat your mom."

"Our daddy was a mean son of a bitch," Merle said. "That's why I tried to look after Daryl. Didn't do the best job of it, but somehow he turned out good. Better 'n me, anyway."

"You're both good," she said. "Aside from Rick, you're the only good men that I've ever known," she admitted.

"Can't believe it, but thank ya," Merle said, standing up. "He should be back soon. Then y'all can kiss an' make up. Jus' don't be too loud, don't wanna wake up the l'il one," he winked.

"Oh it's not like that," Carol said as Merle turned away, laughing up to his room.

She sat there, staring into space again, waiting for Daryl to come back. She had to fix whatever this was between them. Their fight and the things he had said about himself, about the way he thought she saw him, hurt her much more than she cared to admit.

Finally, what seemed like ages later, she heard the door open. She got up and went to meet him at the back door. She turned the light on and gasped when she looked down and saw his hand covered in blood.

He looked at her confused before looking down at his hand. "'S fine," he muttered.

"Let me clean it up," she whispered. He nodded, giving in, and followed her to the bathroom. She cleaned up his hand and got the tiny splinters of wood out that had been embedded in his skin.

"Sorry for them things I said… Jus' used to everyone givin' me shit. Dixon name's got a bad reputation 'round here. Ain't nobody get ta knowin' ya with that name. If ya a Dixon it mean ya ain't no good. Jus' some redneck trailer trash.''

"I shoulda known better… Kindest lady I ever met, prolly couldn't hurt a fly and I go yellin' at ya like that. Like I ain't no better than that husband o' yours.''

"Listen to me right now. You and Ed aren't even in the same universe when it comes to what kind of man you are. You got angry, I understand. Everyone does, but you're nothing like Ed. I know you'd never lay a hand on me or Sophia. I'm actually kind of glad that you got mad," she said, forcing a smirk.

"Crazy ass woman, why in the damn hell would you be glad about that,'' he asked looking up at her, confusion knitted between his brows.

"It shows me you're human,'' she smiled. "You have a lot more self-restraint than you think. I get why you'd start thinking those things, but you didn't give me a chance to explain myself. Daryl- I'm so sorry. I wish you knew me better, better than to think that those things would have crossed my mind for even a second, because they didn't. Not once since I have met you. That's why I can't live here. You're a good man, Daryl. The best I know. I can't bring you into this. I can't risk it. I can't ask you to protect me and Sophia from Ed. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you because of me. I don't want to drag you into my mess. You don't have to be involved. If Ed found out… I'm afraid of what he'd do,'' she looked down and finished bandaging his hand.

"Crazy woman. Don't gotta worry about me. Ain't nothing' killin' a Dixon but a Dixon. Ya best remember that. I still ain't heard one damn good reason why you and Sophia shouldn't come live with me. Trust me, don'tcha?''

"Well, yes," she hesitated.

"Then there ya go. Problem solved. We movin' ya stuff in tomorrow," he said with a finality in his voice.

"But," she started to say before he interrupted her.

"Shush. No more buts.''

"Okay then… Thank you,'' she sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder.

* * *

AN: I know it hasn't been that long, but it feels like it has. I've had a lot going on lately. I also wanted to take my time with this chapter because the second half, the fight, that's what inspired this whole story, in all honesty. The bones of that part have been written since before I even started the first chapter.

I hope you all like it. Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, favorites. Really, especially the reviews. It doesn't take much time but not that many people do it. Even just saying you liked the chapter means a lot to me. I'm so thankful for all of you. You inspire me and encourage me to keep going.

Keep Caryling.

OH and I saw a sign for Caryl. Literally, a sign. There's this road, somewhat in my area, called Caryl Blvd. Is it sad I get excited every time I pass by it? I've only recently noticed it in the past few weeks.


End file.
